As a North Indian staying in the South, there are days I sorely mis my dal-roti-sabji. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy idli, pesarattu and dosas. But dal-roti-sabji is my go-to food. It keeps me happy.
So imagine my joy when I discovered Priti Khandelwal’s home-made tiffin service in Maharanipeta. For ₹120, she packs two sabjis, dal and six rotis, thin and soft just like they make it back home.
There is no chance of wearying of Priti’s tiffin service as she ensures there is variety . “We eat the same food so there is no question of repeating the dishes,” she says. So in the last three weeks, I’ve eaten aloo gobhi, bhindi masala, aloo curry, aloo matar, shahi paneer, mix vegetable, gattey ki sabji, rajma, paneer kofta, yellow dal, black dal and kadhi. The kadhi is made in Rajasthani style, along with with boondi or pakodas. My rotis keep changing too. I have thus far eaten roti, thepla, paratha and besan ki roti.
- Address Near Zilla Parishad Junction, Maharanipeta
- Hits Yellow dal, kadhi, all paneer items
- Misses Gajar matar, patta gobhi, pulao
- Cost Starting from ₹120 per person
- 98496 61675
Scaling up
Encouraged by the feedback she received for her cooking, Priti decided to start a food venture in 2014. Initially, the demand was not that great and Priti often found herself giving away food to her neighbours or to the nearby Krishna Temple . But things picked up and the demand grew as did her expertise at running a business.
“WhatsApp group and digital payments have made taking orders very convenient,” says Priti . She shares updates about the menu to 100 plus members over WhatsApp each night and gets confirmations instantly. While most people prefer to pick up food from her place, she also home delivers at an extra charge of ₹50. She says each day she receives orders from anything between five and 12 people. She gets a daily order for .
Monika Kansaria, who often orders aloo sabji and roti from Priti for her school going children, says, “A few months ago, about 20 relatives were visiting. I told Priti to prepare lunch for us a day before and she delivered.”
Typically a new customer is recommend by an existing ones. Arvind Joshi, a resident of Dwarka Nagar often orders food from Priti for team lunches at work. “The best part about the place is that you can request what you’d like to have and Priti will make it,” he says happily.